Copywriting Rates: How much should you charge?

By openly posting my freelance writing income, it always leads to questions of how much I charge clients, etc. When it comes to copywriting rates, there is really no standard to rely on. While I feel that I charge a fair amount for my copywriting services, I do not command nearly as much money as many others. Of course, there are others who are not charging as much as me.

With that being said, it is always good to see how much other copywriters are earning. Not only will this show you where to start, but it will definitely motivate you at the same time.

This year alone I have written in excess of 10 sales letters. A few of these have been used for direct mail, but most are for online purposes. Even though I try to charge a set amount for each job that I take, things rarely work out this way. For the above mentioned sales letters, I earned anywhere from $200 to $500 each. This work consisted of researching the topic at hand, and then putting together a compelling sales letter that would convert. Generally speaking, all of them fell between 500 and 1,000 words.

Letâ€™s take a look at another common copywriting job: press releases. If you can collect some press release samples, and show that you are good at writing these, you will definitely be able to find work. Almost every business uses press releases to announce new products or services, etc. But guess what? Not all businesses have somebody on staff that can effectively put together a press release; this is where you come into play. While some copywriters charge up to $500 or more for a press release, I am much more reasonable. My rates usually range from $75 to $150. Could I earn more? Probably. And if I think the job will take more time, I definitely quote a higher price. But over the years I have found this range to be acceptable.

Keep in mind that your copywriting rates will be based largely on experience and skills. When I first started, I was not charging clients nearly as much. At that time, my main goal was to first build a portfolio. As far as skills are concerned, this usually comes with time. Even though you may be a good writer, it takes a bit of practice and patience to become a good copywriter. Once you have a solid portfolio, you can then use your past work to secure new clients.

Overall, every copywriter has their own rates. As you can see from some of the stats above, there is money to be made. Just make sure that you set your copywriting rates based on experience and skills. Remember, you can always make adjustments over time.